Linear motion rail systems are used in many industries such as robotics, manufacturing, food processing, medical device industries, etc. Many of, these linear motion rail systems are composed of a motor actuated drive screw that mates with a nut. The nut has one or more threads that engage cooperating threads of the drive screw. Additionally, the nut mates with a guide rail. The guide rail prevents the nut from rotating when the motor actuates the drive screw. Because the nut is prevented from rotating with the drive screw the rotational motion of the drive screw is turned into linear motion of the nut. Thus, actuating the drive screw causes the nut to slide in a linear direction along the guide rail. An example of the current state of the art of linear motion rail systems is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,552,657.
As previously mentioned, linear motion rail systems are used in a variety of industrial applications. Many of these applications expose the rail system to various types of particulate and liquid matter. This matter will be able to collect on various surfaces of the linear motion rail system. Particularly, when the guide rail is an outwardly projecting splined guide rail, matter will gather on the outwardly projecting splines. Because the nut must slide along the outwardly projecting splines, any matter that gathers on the splines will become a hindrance to the linear motion of the nut.
Additionally, impact damage is potentially possible for the outwardly projecting splines. If the linear motion rail system is inadvertently impacted by some other device damage may be caused to the rail system, which could potentially hinder the linear motion rail system's ability to operate, or to operate with high precision.
Therefore, the linear motion rail system requires routine servicing at the cost of downtime for operation of the device and other attendant expenses related to maintenance of the device.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for an improved guide rail system. The invention provides such an improved guide rail system. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.